Pierre Karl Peladeau refuses to part with his newspaper empire, no matter hope much pressure is put on him by his potential rival in the race for leadership of the Parti Québécois, Jean-François Lisée.
   
While the race is just beginning, the conflict between the two likely contenders to the top PQ job became public Saturday, already showing a divide in the separatist forces.
 
Peladeau, who remains the controlling shareholder of media corporation Quebecor, even after being elected MP for St-Jerome in April, reiterated Saturday that he had no intention of selling the shares that his father Pierre Peladeau, founder of the company, bequeathed to him.

Selling the shares would go againsthis core beliefs, Peladeau said at a press conference Saturday morning on the sidelines of a PQ conference in Sherbrooke, in which the party is laying out the rules for the next leader, who will take over from former PQ chief and premier Pauline Marois.

Rosemont MNA Lisée found Peladeau’s position totally unacceptable, both politically and ethically.

In his eyes, Lisée said you cannot be both PQ leader, let alone premier, and the controlling shareholder of the main newspaper empire in Quebec. He therefore asked Peladeau to divest from his business or give up his political ambitions.

“My principle is that you cannot be a head of a party let alone the (premier) and control the (top media company) in Quebec. It's just not possible, and I think it’s important for us to have this debate now so Mr. Peladeau can modify his situation,” he said.

Any other avenue is a time bomb that would make the PQ vulnerable to attacks from all sides and undermine the party’s chances of regaining power, said Lisée, who did not hesitate to confront Peladeau publicly and bluntly.

Lisée’s attack against Peladeau has quickly become a source of unrest and division within the PQ caucus.

A Peladeau supporter, Matane MNA Pascal Bérubé questioned Lisée’s real motives at this stage of the race. According to him, it is Lisée that may come out burned.

The third possible candidate, Marie-Victorin MNA Bernard Drainville, preferred to remain above the fray, saying the debate should not be personalized.

Drainville advocated taking a less confrontational approach to the Peladeau shares debate.

“Let's avoid to tear ourselves apart because we're going to have to work together after the race” he said.

He declined to take a position on the matter, as did other potential rivals Nicolas Marceau, Alexandre Cloutier and Martine Ouellet.

Meanwhile, party president Raymond Archambault, a former journalist, said he had no problem if the next leader of the party were also the head of a newspaper empire.

Despite all the attention given to Peladeau possibly heading up the party, political analyst Jean Lapierre says Peladeau isn’t a shoo-in for the top job.

“I don't think it's a 'fait accompli' for anybody at this time I think people want a race and sure they're open to Mr Peladeau but they want to test him,” he said.

The PQ leadership vote will take place May 13 to 15, 2015. If no candidate wins 50 per cent plus one, a runoff with top two candidates will take place a week later.

The Parti Quebecois decided Saturday that leadership candidates will need to contribute $20,000 each to party to help pay for debates and voting.

No official candidates will be named until next month; one woman and four men are expected to run.
 

With a report from CTV Montreal